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On Columbus Day

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Today is Columbus Day – and it seems as if it's popular to disrespect the day by just about everyone. People are hating on Columbus all over the place. I think it's due to the politically-correct mindset of the day – but there are probably many reasons.??

The fact is, it's a great story of discovery. There are many interesting things about Columbus' travels.

Such as:
???? ??The adversity he faced in garnering a voyage, a ship, a crew, etc.
???? ??How he got far off his course – and even till Columbus' death thought that he was in Asia rather than the??Caribbean.
???? ??And that's just a few…
??
But for some reason these days it's as if the person at the center of the holiday has to be some sort of perfect being – some sort of human who has never made mistakes or done anything controversial. And if that person has done some bad things, or made some controversial statements, then we throw the holiday right out the window and spit on it.

Lets not spit on Columbus!??

I think this is throwing the baby out with the bath water (if you will.)

Some people are against MLK day because he had a mistress and was thus a??hypocrite. Some people are against??Independence??day because some of the Founding Fathers had slaves or because of what happened to the natives, or for something else.??People are against Washington's Birthday because he was pro-slavery.??And people are against Columbus Day because he was pro slavery and had a condescending view of the Natives he discovered, or that he "brought" disease to Europe/New World (not true), or that he single-handedly invaded all of the New World himself and wiped out everything in sight (of course, not true).??

And that's fine for one not to like a??certain??holiday. We are free to not respect holidays if we want.??

And it's fine to not like the man, too. ??

As for me, I can respect the accomplishments of Columbus, and honor them, while at the same time realizing that he was a flawed individual and a man of his times and didn't do everything right. I can respect the accomplishments of the man, without endorsing every detail about his life.??

Just like i can honor MLK for the amazing things he did for race-relations in this country, or Washington for the unimaginable sacrifices he made, while realizing that neither of these men were perfect.??And that's alright with me.??

Moses wasn't perfect. He killed a man. Abraham wasn't perfect – he let his wife be taken by a king to save his own skin. David wasn't perfect – something about a thing with someone named Bathsheba. And the list could go on.

The thing is – it's alright to honor someone for something great they have done, even though they weren't perfect. Columbus did great things – he was one of the foremost navigators and explorers in history. It's thanks to him that Europe even knew there was land out here. That's kind of a big deal.

Perhaps you think Europe should never have found out about the "New World." Well, maybe not. But regardless, what Columbus did back in 1492 was a pretty big achievement. So lets remember it for what it is, ehh? He paved the way for all of our ancestors to come here. Why not honor that?

So here's to you, Columbus. Were you a perfect, flawless individual? No…and neither am I. But you certainly were more brave. There's no way I would be sailing uncharted seas on a wooden craft with a bunch of kooks. Here's to you. ??

Headstrong

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Koreanheadbutt

A South Korean policeman breaks stone plates with his head during a demonstration for a successful G20 Seoul Summit at a police training center in Seoul,??South Korea, Oct. 4, 2010.

I don't know how he did this, but i respect the headstrong in the world. This man seems to be one of them.

John Donne – The Definition of a Wordsmith

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John Donne, the  17th century English preacher and poet, is one of my favorite poets. You have to concentrate on what he is saying. You have to work a little bit to understand what he is saying. But once you do, you’re the better for it. 

The poem below is one of my all time favorites. See for yourself.

HOLY SONNETS.    

 I.

THOU hast made me, and shall Thy work decay ?
Repair me now, for now mine end doth haste ;
I run to death, and Death meets me as fast,
And all my pleasures are like yesterday.
I dare not move my dim eyes any way ;
Despair behind, and Death before doth cast
Such terror, and my feeble flesh doth waste
By sin in it, which it towards hell doth weigh.
Only Thou art above, and when towards Thee
By Thy leave I can look, I rise again ;
But our old subtle foe so tempteth me,
That not one hour myself I can sustain.
Thy grace may wing me to prevent his art
And thou like adamant draw mine iron heart. 

Thoughts on Seminary – #1

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I started this thing 3 years ago, with a B.A. in theology burning a hole in my hands. Now in my 4th year here in the Masters of Divinity program here at Asbury Theological Seminary, i have started to reflect on my time here.??

Of course my time here is not over yet. I have to finish this semester and the next one, after all. But here is the first installation of some initial thoughts on seminary and how I have changed through it..

Seminary is an odd place. And a diverse place.??

There is a stereotype that pegs "Seminary guy" as a weird, socially awkward, brainy dork who reads theology all the time and uses ridiculous words like "kerygma," "Hermeneutical," and "anthropomorphism" ??and doesn't know how to talk to girls. And "Seminary girl" is a homely looking, jumper wearing odd ball who has her hair down to her waist and plays the piano and loves cats.

And that is true. That guy and gal definitely exists.

But perhaps not as much as you think.??

There is the reality that seminary, at least this seminary, is an incredibly diverse place.??

There are Asians, Africans, Europeans, South Americans…and Canadians. There are young guys just out of college, there are 57 year old grandmothers, musicians, athletes, and geniuses. There are moms and dads, former business execs and??maintenance??men. And that's just a glimpse.??

Here in little ole Wilmore I have learned more about this big world we all live in.

In reality, this has been a fantastic place to learn, grow, and be challenged.

One of my first days there on campus as a student I'll always remember. I was with my good friend Thad, and he introduced me to the honorable J. Ellsworth Kalas, interim president of Asbury Theological Seminary.

He asked me about where I was from and what I was doing. I told him, and then he issued a warning to me that has always stuck with me. He said, "be sure that, in the pursuit of knowing more about the Bible, you don't lose your soul."

"Yes sir." I said.

This was the best thing i could have heard at the time.

Truth is, it can be easy to get so caught up in academia that the reality of the Word and the Power of Christ can get buried. And that hasn't happened with me – for a number of reasons i think.

One reason is that the spiritual??atmosphere??on campus is a sincere one. A real one. The love of Christ is tangible here on campus, and in the professors lives (most of them, at least).??

Another reason is that I maintained a secular job off campus. Being a server at a popular??restaurant??in Lexington has a way of knocking any hoity-toyty religiousness out of your system. And the truth is, i learned so much about myself and people and Christianity while i was there. I think everyone should have a secular job while in seminary if at all possible. It's hard. But it's good.

Here's to my last year at ATS – at least for now…??

Mystical vs. Juridical

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I read this tonight and thought it was quite poignant: 

 

“The Old Testament is the record of men getting further and further away from God, so tha the alliance between man and God becomes less and less mystical and more and more juridical. The further you are from God, the more your dealings with Him take on the air of a formality.”    –Thomas Merton

Favorite Sports Movies Ever #6 – #1

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So it's been awhile since my last post, but it's time to bring this thing home – my top 6 sports movies of all time. These rankings are based on my personal preferences on the overall film. I look forward to hearing your feedback. So here goes…

6). Raging Bull (1980), Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci

?????????? "That the thing ain't the ring, it's the play. So give me a stage, Where this bull here can rage,"

?????????? This is not only considered one of the best sports movies of all time, but one of the best movies of all time in general. It's 2 Oscar Awards attest to that. Directed by the awesome Martin Scorsese, this is a dark film about the real-life of boxer Jake LaMotta. DeNiro is incredbile in this film. I don't know that I've ever seen a better acting performance in any film, ever. This is more than a boxing movie, no doubt. This is an intense film, however, not for the faint of heart. It's one of those movies you only want to watch every 5 years or so. But the last scene, that echos Watership Down is one of the best scenes ever.

5). Friday Night Lights, (2004), Billy Bob Thorton, Tim McGraw

??????????????? "I'm gonna miss the heat. I'm gonna miss the lights."???

Fnl1119


???????????? This is probably my most favorite football movie ever. It's the true story of a small West Texas high school football team and the lives of the families and the players. It's a gripping movie that, once again, is about more than a sports team. This is an awesome movie that has great sports action and great drama. Love this film. And the T.V. series based on this movie is one of my favorite tv series' ever, by the way.

4). Cinderella Man (2005), Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, Paul Giamatti

?????????????? "I have to believe that when things are bad I can change them."

Cinderellaman

?????????????? Another true story account of Boxer James Braddock, who goes from being hurt and washed up to becoming a champion. It's an amazing, inspiring story, to be sure. Russell Crowe is amazing in this film, his accent, his look is really fantastic. Ron Howard directed and is really fascinating to watch. Love this movie. One of the best, bar none.

3). Field of Dreams (1989), Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta

???????????? "This is my corn. You people are guests in my corn."

Field_of_dreams

???????????? This, obviously, is one of the legendary and timeless films of all time. It's a sports-drama-fantasy film that melds three generes into one. I try to watch this one once per year. If you build it, they will come, right?

2). Bull Durham (1988), Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon

???????????? "You'll never make it to the bigs with fungus on your shower shoes"

Bull-durham-after-home-run

???????????? This is one of the most awesome movies of all time. It's a romantic comedy that depicts the players and fans of a Minor League baseball team – and it's hilarious, inappropriate, and fantastic. Baseball is a game that played by a bunch of Kooks, and this film shows it off. Robbins and Costner have great chemistry on camera and it's great to watch. Check it if you haven't.

1) Rocky I-IV(1976, 1979,1982, 1985), Sylvester Stallone, et al.

???????? "You're gonna eat lightnin' and you're gonna crap thunder!"

Rocky

?????????? I have to lump these all together – because they are so legendary and so awesome in their own way. I see them as one entity. Like LOTR or Star Wars. They are the LOTR of sports movies, no doubt. Inspiring, engaging, interesting – these movies are where the buck stops. Rocky is the man and these sports films will never be topped. There it is!

19 Favorite Sports Movies – 13-7

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So why do I like sports movies? I’ll tell you.

They are emotional, they have hard hits, they have intense competition, they have adversity, they have drama, they have coaches yelling, players bleeding, awesome motivational speeches, and terrible defeats. That’s why.

??

So here is the middle of the pack, 13-7:

13) Any Given Sunday (1999) Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx, Dennis Quaid

?????????????????????? “You find out life’s this game of inches, so is football.”

Forced desegregation of a Virginia high school in the early 1970s, and the power struggle within the newly integrated football team is what this film is about. It’s a classic, it deals with race relations, it’s hilarious, and hit has Denzel Washington in it – Love it.

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The Top 6 Coming Soon!!

19 Favorite Sports Movies Ever – 19-14

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It’s the pinnacle of sports season at this point. Baseball is in full swing (Pun), Pro Basketball is in the heart of the playoffs – as is Pro Hockey. Golf is in full swing (pun), NASCAR is rolling along at 200mph (pun), and Pro Football is revving it’s engines (bad analogy) as well.

So this got me thinking – What are my favorite sports movies? I have never quite formulated a list – and now is as good a time as any. After about a 100 hours of research and multiple dozens of page writing, it’s time for an outlet.

Now mind you, these are my 19 favorite sports movies, not necessarily what i think are best ones. But usually these line up with the best due to my impeccable taste, but you be the judge.

19) A League of Their Own (1992) Tom Hanks
???????????? “There’s no Crying in Baseball!!”

This is a story of a young, hot-shot driver who’s been handed a chance to take the wheel. This movie has a ton of awesome images, but the one of Cruise rolling up on the track on his hog, his hair flowing in the wind is totally awesome. I have never seen this on anyone’s “top sports movie list,” but anyone who leaves this gem off is sadly mistaken.

15) Rudy (1993) Sean Austin
?????????? “You’re 5 foot nothin’, 100 and nothin’, and you have barely a speck of athletic ability. And you hung in there with the best college football players in the land for 2 years.”

Rudy

This is the great story of diminutive Notre Dame walk-on ‘Rudy’ Ruettiger, who dreams of one day getting his shot on the field. This is another classic. And Samwise Gamgee as a football player is always a fantastic idea.

14) Caddyshack (1980) Bill Murray, Chevy Chase
???????? “Hey, that kangaroo just took my ball.”

Caddy

It’s certainly a cult classic, and known by many as one of the funniest films ever. This has to be on the list.
The Bill Murray and Chevy Chase combo is incredible, by the by.

13 – 7 to come soon!